By Sonia Khuri
Orthodox Christians are presently fasting during Lent.
Traditionally this entails a vegan diet and abstaining from eating and drinking from midnight to midday.
Christ fasted and advised his disciples against looking sombre when they fasted (Matt 6:16).
Christians have been fasting ever since (Didache). When the disciples asked why they could not heal the epileptic, Christ replied: “…this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matt 17:21) This indicates that fasting and prayer go together.
The power of prayer we know, but the purpose of fasting is not that clear. Is it a sacrifice to allow empathy, a punishment, a discipline, or does it make the spirituality of prayer more poignant?
Food dominates our lives. We are bombarded with cooking programmes on TV, cookery books, advertisements, and with advice about what is good for us and what is bad for the environment.
Nowadays, a whole range of vegan recipes and foods are available.
So, when a fasting Orthodox Christian craves cheese during Lent, he/she can go for a vegan option. Is this in harmony with the meaning and purpose of fasting? Likewise, when some Christians fast Lent by giving up a bad habit or a specific food, is this what fasting is about?
Fasting must have a spiritual significance which is entered into willingly through the heart and the mind, through prayer and meditation.
The stomach is not the goal in fasting, it is a means to set the mood for the suffering of Christ and the joy of the Resurrection.
Fasting does not lead to salvation; however, it intensifies prayer which in turn strengthens humility and the ability to love.
Disciplining our appetites helps us discipline our behaviour and our interactions with others. Prayer and fasting go together in the spiritual journey of a Christian.
Sonia Khuri, from the Prophet Elias Orthodox Church in Reading, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Reading
